On March 5, 2026, " Pokoa Pokémon " launch event was held at a certain place in Tokyo. At the event, Hidetaka Kano, Rino Sashihara, Hokuto Matsumura, and MAHINA, who appeared in the TV commercial, took the stage to experience the game firsthand and participate in a talk session related to "Poco a Pokémon".
The event was held to commemorate the release of "Pokoa Pokémon!
Pokémon 's first slow-life sandbox game, " Poko a Pokémon," was released simultaneously worldwide on March 5, 2026 (Thursday).
Comments from Tsunekazu Ishihara (excerpt)
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Pokemon. The Pokémon world, where you catch Pokémon, raise them, evolve them, trade them with friends, and play against them, started with "Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green," and thanks to your support, Pokémon has gained global popularity. Today, the Nintendo Switch 2 "Poko a Pokémon" is finally available worldwide. The game is available in Japanese, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese, so everyone around the world can start playing at the same time. This is a Pokémon slow-life sandbox game jointly planned and developed by Game Freak, Koei Tecmo Games, and Pokémon Co. Based on the history of Pokémon, we believe that the atmosphere of the towns you visit in "Poko a Pokémon" will make you feel very nostalgic. The game also supports multiplayer play for up to four players, so you can go out to your friends' towns, invite them to your own town, and enjoy building a town together. We hope that many people will take a chance on this game. Thank you very much in advance.
The four players appearing in the TV commercial took the stage!
Hidetaka Kano, Rino Sashihara, Hokuto Matsumura, and MAHINA, who appear in the "Pokoa Pokémon" TV commercial, took the stage wearing Metamon color coordinates! They talked about behind-the-scenes of the recording of the "Pokoa Pokémon" TV commercial.
Hokuto Matsumura of SixTONES (@sixtones_official ) plays "Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A" and "Pokémon Leaf Green" on his Nintendo Switch 2 at home and when traveling. He said he is looking forward to the release of the first sandbox game in the "Pokémon" series, which will attract a new user base to Pokémon games.
Former HKT48 member Rino Sashihara (@345insta ) performed a dance inspired by Metamon in the commercial. She revealed that she was anxious about filming the commercial because it had been so long since she was an idol, but Hokuto Matsumura, who was in the wrong place, threatened her, saying, "It's going to be very difficult. He said that he wanted the audience to pay attention to his dance, which somehow survived the filming.
He is the founder of the YouTube channel " EIKO! Hidetaka Kano (@kano9x ) is popular among people of all ages for his live video games on his YouTube channel "EIKO! In the commercial, he makes an impact despite making only a few cuts of his face. He also confessed that he had recorded the dance scene as well as the other actors during the shooting of the commercial, saying, "If you blink, you'll miss it.
Unfortunately, it was not used in the finished commercial, but it was shown on the official Pokémon YouTube channel.
MAHINA of the 7-member girl group HANA (@hana_brave_official ) sang the impressive song that sounds like a fast speech. She practiced in a stoic way : "I won't leave the bath until I can say it 10 times! She practiced the song in a stoic manner, and conveyed the message, "I hope everyone will sing the song as many times as possible.
🕺#ぽこポケのうた 踊ってみた🕺
松村北斗さんが踊ってくれました！
ポイントはさりげないメタモンポーズ👉👈https://t.co/WooTOgc1Qqみんなも踊ってみてね🌟#ぽこあポケモン
— 【公式】ポケモン情報局 (@poke_times) March 2, 2026
The video of the four dancers singing the Poko-Pokemon song is now available on the official Pokemon X (@poke_times ) site!
Playing "Poko a Pokémon" for real!
Next, the four of us tried playing "Poke-a-Pokemon.
In this game, which supports multiplayer for up to four players, you can cooperate to build a town and take pictures of the memories of your gatherings together.
A camera is set up for everyone to take a commemorative photo!
Hidetaka Kano and Rino Sashihara also revealed that they had created their own towns in advance. Hidetaka Kano's town is scheduled to open to the public on March 12, 2026 (Thursday), and Rino Sashihara's town on March 19, 2026 (Thursday). You will be able to actually visit the cities in the game's virtual mode. Check the official Pokémon SNS for further updates!
Where would you like to see the other performers change? What advice do you have for their new lives? Some unusual answers
After the game experience, a talk session was held on the theme of "Poco a Pokémon".
Sashihara-san commented that he would like to have MAHINA's "vocal cords. She expressed her desire to have MAHINA's "vocal cords," and said that not only her singing voice but also her everyday voice is cute and lovely.
MAHINA, on the other hand, appreciated the fact that Sashihara is able to involve herself in her own unique worldview both on TV and on YouTube, and commented that she would like to have that "ability to talk. Sashihara smiled shyly and said, "I haven't been able to show it today, so I'll do my best (laugh).
Mr. Kano, who also has a side as an artist, commented that he envies Mr. Matsumura's "performance ability. He said that Ms. Matsumura's "ability to attract people's attention" is so wonderful that they can't help but watch her in this TV commercial.
Mr. Matsumura commented that he was envious of Ms. Kano's "reactions to surprises. Kano was puzzled, saying, "I'm really happy to hear that, but it's really just me... (laughs)."
Next, we asked MAHINA for advice for those who are starting a new life.
MAHINA insisted that it is important to "rely on the people around you," something she says she is good at. She encouraged them to "rely on the people around you, rather than trying to do things on your own, because it's normal to not be able to do things at first.
Ms. Matsumura suggested that people find a hobby or something they can devote themselves to as a time to escape the stresses of daily life. Matsumura himself refreshes himself by playing games.
Ms. Sashihara commented that "80% motivation" is important. If you are at 100%, you will get tired someday, so how long you can keep your motivation at 80% will lead to an easier life.
So far, the three respondents have given mental advice based on their own experiences, but it seems that Mr. Kano has made a mistake in his answer...?
In a sense, this is a very serious advice: "You almost don't need anything to take with you to Tokyo. The audience laughed when Mr. Kano himself shared an episode in which he brought his graduation album and a pasta ladle from his parents' house, but never used them.
Pokémon's first slow life sandbox game "Poko a Pokémon" is now on sale for Nintendo Switch 2! For more information, please visit the official "Pocoa Pokémon" website.
| Title Outline | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pokoa Pokémon |
| Release date | March 5, 2026 (Thursday) |
| Compatible consoles | Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Genre | Slow Life Sandbox |
| Number of players | 1 player (up to 4 players via local/internet communication) |
| Sales form | Package version (key card), download version |
| Languages | Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean |
| CERO | A, B, C, D |
| Planning and development | Pokemon Inc., Game Freak Inc., Koei Tecmo Games Co. |
| Sales | Pokemon Co. |
Sorry, this article is only available in Japanese. at the moment.
